Man charged with selling fatal ‘Hello Kitty’ drugs

TOMS RIVER, N.J. (AP) — Authorities say a Trenton man has been charged with causing the death of a man who overdosed after he sold him drugs stamped with the “Hello Kitty” cartoon character.

Ocean County prosecutors say 23-year-old Dahmir Jones was charged in the death of 18-year-old Brendan Novak.

Prosecutors say Novak was found dead in a Stafford Township home on June 21 and several packets stamped with the “Hello Kitty” character containing a white substance were found nearby. Testing determined the substance was composed almost entirely of Fentanyl.

The prosecutor’s office says Jones sold Novak the drug and an autopsy determined Fentanyl was in Novak’s system when he died.

Jones is the eigth person charged in the county under New Jersey’s strict liability law. It wasn’t immediately clear if he had an attorney.